SSC CHSL 2026: Exam Date, Syllabus, Eligibility & Free Mocks
Everything a 12th-pass aspirant needs for SSC CHSL 2026 — the Tier 1 and Tier 2 pattern, section-wise syllabus, LDC and DEO pay levels, and pattern-accurate free mock tests with all-India ranking.
Full-Length Mock Tests
Practice 2026 pattern Tier 1 and Tier 2 mock tests. Track speed, accuracy, and section-wise cut-offs.
- Real exam-like simulation
- Detailed performance scorecard
- All-India percentile rank
2,536
Total Vacancies
12th Pass
Eligibility
18–27 yrs
Age Limit
₹19,900+
Starting Pay
2 Tiers + Skill Test
Selection Stages
₹100
Application Fee
What is SSC CHSL?
SSC CHSL stands for Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level (10+2) Examination. It is conducted by the Staff Selection Commission to fill Lower Division Clerk (LDC), Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) and Data Entry Operator (DEO) posts across ministries, departments and offices of the Government of India.
Because the minimum qualification is 10+2 rather than a degree, CHSL draws one of the largest applicant pools of any SSC examination — routinely well over 30 lakh registrations against a few thousand vacancies. Selection runs through two computer-based tiers, with a qualifying typing or data-entry skill test built into Tier 2 itself.
Full Form of SSC CHSL
SSC CHSL full form is Staff Selection Commission Combined Higher Secondary Level (10+2) Examination. "Combined" means a single exam is used to fill LDC/JSA and DEO posts across many different government departments at once.
Why SSC CHSL is Popular Among 12th-Pass Aspirants
SSC CHSL is popular because it offers a permanent central government job to candidates with only a Class 12 qualification, with a starting in-hand salary of roughly ₹25,000–30,000 and no upper limit on career progression through promotion.
For aspirants who cannot commit to a three-year degree before applying, CHSL is the earliest realistic entry point into central government service. The syllabus overlaps heavily with SSC CGL, SSC MTS and most banking exams, so preparation compounds across applications — many candidates clear CHSL first, join, and continue preparing for CGL while already drawing a government salary.
Free SSC CHSL 2026 Mock Tests
Attempt pattern-accurate Tier 1 and Tier 2 mocks, sectional tests and previous year papers — free, with an instant all-India percentile after every attempt.
Attempt a Free Mock- Full-length Tier 1 & Tier 2 mocks
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SSC CHSL Notification & Important Dates 2026
SSC released the CHSL 2026 notification on 7 September 2026. The application window has closed; Tier 1 is tentatively scheduled between 30 November and 31 December 2026 per the Commission's revised exam calendar, with the exact date confirmed on the admit card.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| SSC CHSL 2026 Notification Release | 7 September 2026 |
| Online Application Start Date | 7 September 2026 |
| Online Application Last Date | 7 October 2026 |
| Fee Payment Last Date | 8 October 2026 |
| Application Correction Window | 14–16 October 2026 |
| Tier 1 Admit Card Release | Expected November 2026 |
| SSC CHSL Tier 1 Exam Date | 30 Nov – 31 Dec 2026 (tentative) |
| Tier 1 Result Declaration | Expected February 2027 |
| SSC CHSL Tier 2 Exam Date | To be announced |
| Final Result & Document Verification | Expected mid-2027 |
Source: ssc.gov.in — dates beyond the notification are tentative until SSC confirms them via admit card.
SSC CHSL Vacancy 2026
The SSC CHSL 2026 notification announced 2,536 vacancies for LDC/JSA, DEO and DEO Grade 'A' posts. This figure is tentative — SSC typically revises the vacancy count before the final result, so always confirm the current number on ssc.gov.in.
| Post | Share of Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Lower Division Clerk (LDC) / Junior Secretariat Assistant (JSA) | Majority of posts |
| Data Entry Operator (DEO) | Remaining posts |
| Data Entry Operator, Grade A | Limited posts (C&AG and select ministries) |
SSC CHSL Eligibility Criteria 2026
👉 Full eligibility guide — PwBD table, documents checklist & ex-servicemen rules →Educational Qualification
Candidates must have passed Class 12 (10+2) or equivalent from a recognised Board or University on or before 7 October 2026. Candidates still appearing in Class 12 may apply provisionally but must hold the qualification by that cut-off date.
*DEO / DEO Grade 'A' posts in the Office of the C&AG, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, SSC, and the Ministry of Culture require Class 12 in the Science stream with Mathematics.
SSC CHSL Age Limit
Candidates must be between 18 and 27 years as on 1 August 2026 — born between 2 August 1999 and 1 August 2008, inclusive.
SSC CHSL Age Relaxation 2026
Upper-age concessions by category. Valid certificates required to claim relaxation.
| Category | Relaxation Granted |
|---|---|
| SC / ST | 5 years |
| OBC (non-creamy layer) | 3 years |
| PwBD — Unreserved | 10 years |
| PwBD — OBC | 13 years |
| PwBD — SC/ST | 15 years |
| Ex-Servicemen (ESM) | 3 years after deducting military service rendered |
| Defence personnel disabled in operations — General | 3 years |
| Defence personnel disabled in operations — SC/ST | 8 years |
| Central Govt. civilian employees (3+ yrs service) — General | Up to 40 years of age |
| Central Govt. civilian employees (3+ yrs service) — SC/ST | Up to 45 years of age |
| Widows / divorced / judicially separated women, not remarried — General | Up to 35 years of age |
| Widows / divorced / judicially separated women, not remarried — SC/ST | Up to 40 years of age |
Nationality
Candidates must be a citizen of India, a subject of Nepal or Bhutan, a Tibetan refugee who came to India before 1 January 1962 intending to settle permanently, or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka, East African countries, Vietnam or Ethiopia with the intention of permanently settling in India.
SSC CHSL Exam Pattern 2026
SSC CHSL is conducted in two computer-based tiers. Tier 1 only shortlists candidates for Tier 2 — final merit comes entirely from Tier 2 Sections I and II (360 marks). The Computer Knowledge module and the skill/typing test are both qualifying only.
👉 Full pattern — qualifying cut-offs, tie-breaking rules & typing test passage lengths →Tier 1 — Computer Based Examination
Screening only, does not count to final merit
Each of the 4 subjects now has its own fixed 15-minute lock, instead of one shared 60-minute composite timer. Once a section's time is up, you can't revisit it.
100
Questions
200
Marks
15 × 4
Min / Subject
+2 / -0.5
Per Answer
25 Q | 50 M
25 Q | 50 M
25 Q | 50 M
25 Q | 50 M
Tier 2 — Computer Based Examination
Sections I & II decide the merit — Section III and the skill test are qualifying
Section I — Mathematical Abilities + Reasoning
60 Q | 180 Marks
30 Maths (90M) + 30 Reasoning (90M) · 1 hour · +3 / -1 per answer
Section II — English + General Awareness
60 Q | 180 Marks
40 English (120M) + 20 GA (60M) · 1 hour · +3 / -1 per answer
Section III — Computer Knowledge
15 Q | 45 Marks
15 minutes · Does not count toward the merit list
Session II — Skill Test / Typing Test
QualifyingHeld the same day as Session I. LDC/JSA: 35 WPM English or 30 WPM Hindi. DEO: 8,000 key depressions/hour. DEO Grade 'A' in C&AG and select departments: 15,000 key depressions/hour. Missing the speed requirement disqualifies the candidate regardless of Tier 2 marks.
SSC CHSL Syllabus 2026
Tier 1 & Tier 2 Overview
Both tiers test the same four core areas — Quantitative Aptitude, Reasoning, English and General Awareness — at Class 10–12 difficulty. Tier 2 additionally adds a Computer Knowledge module.
Explore Subject-Wise Topics
Quantitative Aptitude
Arithmetic
- Percentage
- Profit & Loss
- Ratio & Proportion
- Time & Work
- SI & CI
Advance
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Trigonometry
- Mensuration
English Language
Grammar
- Error Spotting
- Sentence Improvement
- Fill in the Blanks
- Active/Passive Voice
Vocabulary
- Synonyms & Antonyms
- Idioms & Phrases
- One Word Substitution
- Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Verbal
- Analogies & Classification
- Series
- Coding-Decoding
- Blood Relations
Non-Verbal
- Paper Folding/Cutting
- Mirror & Water Images
- Embedded Figures
General Awareness
Static GK
- History
- Polity
- Geography
- Science
Current Affairs
- Last 6–8 Months
- Sports
- Awards
- Govt. Schemes
Computer Knowledge (Tier 2, Qualifying)
- Computer Fundamentals
- MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Internet & Web Browsers
SSC CHSL Cut Off Trends
The SSC CHSL 2025 Tier 1 result was declared on 27 February 2026, shortlisting 39,901 candidates for Tier 2. The table below shows the Tier 1 cut-off marks (out of 200) by category — use it as a reference range, since cut-offs move every year with vacancy count and paper difficulty.
| Category | LDC / JSA | DEO |
|---|---|---|
| UR | 144.25 | 169.54 |
| OBC | 143.83 | 169.49 |
| EWS | 141.42 | — |
| SC | 125.40 | 157.72 |
| ST | 115.25 | 152.78 |
SSC CHSL 2025 Tier 1 cut-off, out of 200 marks. Figures are illustrative of past trends — confirm current-cycle cut-offs on ssc.gov.in once declared.
👉 10-year cut-off trend, Tier 2 qualifying standards & final allocation data →SSC CHSL Posts and Salary Structure
Level 5
₹29,200+
DEO Grade 'A' (select departments)
Level 4
₹25,500+
Data Entry Operator (DEO)
Level 2
₹19,900+
LDC / Junior Secretariat Assistant
In addition to basic pay, employees receive Dearness Allowance (DA), House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance and NPS pension contribution. In an X-category city, in-hand pay typically works out to roughly ₹39,000–₹56,000 depending on post — see the step-by-step breakdown on the dedicated salary page.
| Post | Pay Level | Pay Scale | In-Hand (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LDC / JSA | Level 2 | ₹19,900 – ₹63,200 | ~₹39,600 |
| Data Entry Operator (DEO) | Level 4 | ₹25,500 – ₹81,100 | ~₹49,100 |
| DEO Grade 'A' (select departments) | Level 5 | ₹29,200 – ₹92,300 | ~₹55,500 |
SSC CHSL Selection Process
SSC CHSL selection has no interview stage. It runs through four steps:
1. Tier 1 — Computer Based Examination
Qualifying only. Shortlists candidates for Tier 2; marks do not add to final merit.
2. Tier 2 Session I — Objective Paper
Sections I & II (360 marks) decide final merit. Section III, Computer Knowledge, is qualifying only.
3. Tier 2 Session II — Skill / Typing Test
Held the same day as Session I. Qualifying only — missing the speed requirement disqualifies regardless of score.
4. Document Verification
Candidates who clear Tier 2 are called for DV with originals of certificates, ID and category proofs. Final post allotment follows Tier 2 merit, preference and vacancy.
SSC CHSL Preparation Strategy
Tier 1 Strategy
- 1Fix the arithmetic core firstPercentage, ratio, profit & loss, time & work and averages generate most Quant questions — master these before advanced topics.
- 2Build mental math speedMemorise squares and cubes up to 30 and multiplication tables up to 30 so calculation never costs you time.
- 3Make GA a daily 20-minute habitRead a current-affairs digest daily and revise the last 6–8 months weekly — it's the highest marks-per-minute section.
- 4Attempt one full mock regularlySimulate the real 60-minute, 100-question format, then spend as long analysing it as you spent taking it.
Tier 2 & Typing Strategy
Prioritise Sections I & II
These 360 marks decide your rank. Build deep accuracy in Maths and Reasoning first — they carry the same weight as English and GA combined.
Start typing practice on day one
Practise 15–20 minutes daily on a PC (not a laptop, since the actual test is PC-based) — this comfortably clears 35 WPM well before the skill test.
Don't neglect Computer Knowledge
It's only 15 questions and qualifying, but a quick revision of MS Office and internet basics avoids an easy disqualification.
SSC CHSL FAQs
The SSC CHSL 2026 notification was released on 7 September 2026 with applications open until 7 October 2026. SSC's revised calendar places Tier 1 in a 30 November to 31 December 2026 window, with the exact date confirmed closer to the exam via the admit card. Tier 2 dates are announced after Tier 1.
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